Hand flanger for cans



1935s A. L. KRONQUEST HAND FLANGER FOR CANS Filed July 2, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Snow M3 S 24, 1935 A. 1... KRONQUEST HAND FLANGER FOR CANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2, 1934 VI n Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND FLANGEB FOR CANS Application July 2, 1934, Serial No. 733,506

Claims.

It is a common expedient in home canning to use metal cans and to seam the end to the can body after it has been filled by means of a handoperated seamer. It is also a common expedient I when the cans are opened to sever the body adjacent the double seam, reflange the can and use the same with a new cover. The new cover is seamed to the body by a folding of the metal parts into a double seam. This necessitates that the flange formed on the body shall be uniform and of proper proportions to turn with the cover flange into a double seam.

An object'of the present invention is to provide v a hand seamer with a fianging attachment whereby a flange may be turned on the can body which shall be of uniform extent and dimensions.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of a hand seamer with the improved attachment applied thereto for flanging a can body.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View through the upper part of the head-of the hand seamer showing the means for rotating the chuck.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the manner of supporting the fianging head and the means whereby said fianging head as it is rotated isforced into the can end for progressively and uniformly forming a flange in the body wall.

Figure4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the fianging head raised to operative position.

Figure 5 is a view showing the fianging head at the completion of the forming of the flange.

The hand seamer to which the invention is applied includes a frame having a base portion in the form of a. bracket adapted to be attached to a table or a bench for supporting the hand seamer during the operation upon a can. Projecting upwardly from the base portion are spaced standards and mounted on the spaced standards is the upper head in which is mounted a chuck for rotation about a vertical axis. Means is provided for rotating the chuck. For seaming the end to a can, seaming rolls are provided which are mounted on levers operated from a control cam in the head which is turned at a differential speed. For fianging purposes, the seaming rolls are shifted on the carrying levers so that they do not contact with the can during the rotation of the head; Mounted on the base member is a support which may be raised and lowered. This support is adapted to carry a base plate on which the can is supported during the forming of the seam, or a fianging head for turning a flange on the can when said machine is used for fianging. The fianging head is in the form of a shaping die which when moved into the can will roll the wall outwardly and shape the same into a flange. The can to be flanged is chucked and is rotated with the chuck and this will rotate the fianging head, and means is provided for 5 forcing the fianging head into the can as it is rotated.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the invention is shown as applied to a hand seamer which includes a base member I to which a 10 bracket 2 is attached and which may be used to clamp the base member to a table or bench which is indicated at 3. At each side of the base member are standards, one of which is indicated at 4 in the drawings and the other at 5. 'Extending 15 across one side of the standard to the other and connected thereto is an operating head for the hand seamer which is indicated at 6. This operating head includes a shaft 9 supporting a chuck It. It includes a cross shaft I l to which a crank 20 I2 is attached. This cross shaft 1 I carries a bevel gear I3 which meshes with a bevel gear l4 carried by the shaft 9.

The present invention has to do with the flanging of a can, but the machine may also'be used for seaming the end to the can body. .To this end, the machine is provided with seaming rolls, one of which is indicated at 5. This seaming roll is carried by a lever [6. There is a second seaming roll carried by a lever H. The seaming roll carried by the lever I1 is operated by means of a lever I8 carrying a roll l9 contacting with a cam member 28 which is given a differential speed from the actuating shaft 9. The seaming mechanism as shown forms no part of the present invention but is shown and described in full in the application of Alfred L. Kronquest, Serial No. 690,488, filed September 21, 1933.

As has already been noted, it is a common expedient for thehome canner to sever the can body close to the double seam at the end which is open. This may be accomplished by substituting a cutting wheel for onev of the seaming rolls. After the can has been severed then a flange is formed so that a new end can be seamed thereto and the can re-used.

When the machine is used for fianging, the can support is removed and a fianging head 2| is substituted therefor. Mounted on the supporting base I is an upstanding bracket sleeve 22. Mounted in said sleeve is a carrier member 23. Said carrier member has a central recess in which is adapted to fit a hub 24 of a standard 25 to which the fianging head 2| is secured. The fianging head is in the form of a plate having a flat section 26 centrally thereof which engages the upper end of the standard 25. A cap plate 21 engages the upper face of the fianging head and is clamped by a clamping bolt 28 which firmly secures the fianging head to the standard 25. The plate forming the fianging head is curved upwardly from the central portion 26 and thence downwardly so as to provide a vertical Wall 29 which curves downwardly and outwardly and terminates in an upturned vertical wall 30. This shaping of the fianging head is uniform all the way around the fianging head.

Located underneath the hub 24 is a spring Washer 31 on which the hub rests. The carrier member 23 is raised and lowered by means of a lever 32 which lies between spaced members rigidly attached to said carrier member and projects beneath the same. A pivot pin 33 joins the level to the spaced members. The lever 32 has a cam face 34 which is adapted to engage an inclined face 35 formed on the base member I. When the handle is depressed from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shownin Figure 4, it will raise the carrier member 23 and when it is returned to the position shown in Figure 3, it will lower it. Said cam face 34 terminates in a round shoulder 36 and when the lever is turned to the position shown in Figure 4, this round shoulder is slightly to the left of the pivot pin 33 and therefore the carrier member will be held in its raised position even though the operator releases this lever 32.

The hub 24 is free to move in the carrier member. The upper end of the carrier member is provided with a cam face which inclines upwardly as indicated at 31, terminating in a high point at 38. The low point of this cam face is indicated at 39. There are really two cam faces .which are symmetrically formed and which extend throughout 180 degrees of the circumference of the carrier member 23. A roller 40 extends through the standard and projects therefrom so that the ends of this roller rest on these two cam faces.

The can to be flanged is inverted and the open end thereof placed on the fianging head. The lever 32 is then lowered and this will raise the carrier member, the fianging head and the can until the bottom end of the can engages the chuck It]. When in full raised position there is suflicient frictional contact between the bottom end of the can and the chuck due to the forcing of the body wall down onto the curved portion 29, as shown in Figure 4' so that when the chuck is rotated the can and the fianging head will rotate therewith. As the fianging head rotates, the roller 40 will travel along and upwardly on the cam face. 31, thus forcing the fianging head upward into the can. This will cause the wall contacting with the fianging head to curl outwardly and to curl uniformly and progressively until it finally contacts with the vertical wall 30 which serves as a limiting stop. The fianging head is so proportioned that when the can body wall strikes this vertical wall 30, the flange is finished. This turning. of the flange was completed just as the roller passes the high point 38 as indicated in Figure 5. The roller will then move down onto the low part of the cam face 31 and this will release the fianging head from pressure against the can wall. Just as soon as the pressure is released, the operator stops the rotation and raises the lever 32 so as to lower the carrier member and this releases the can from the chuck. The can can be very readily removed from the fianging head with the finished flange formed thereon.

A great deal of difiiculty is experienced in the forming of a flange at the side seam of the can body. Often this side seam is caused to engage 5 a slot in the frame, such as the head of a screw, and the wall slightly bent outward in order to initiate the turning of the flange. However, when the fianging head is in the form of a die, and is forced into the can body by pressure inci- 10 dent to the roller traveling up the inclined cam face, said body wall will be progressively and uniformly turned into a flange.

From the above it will be apparent that a very simple form of attachment has been provided 15 which may be used in connection with a hand seamer for the forming of a flange. When it is desired to transform the hand flanger into a hand seamer, the standard 25 is lifted from the carrier member 23 and a supporting plate with a 20 similar hub portion substituted therefor. The can is placed on the plate, the lever depressed, and this causes the upper end of the can body to engage the cover so that it will be rotated with the chuck and the seaming rollers operate to turn the metal parts into a double seam.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A hand flanger including in combination a 5 supporting frame, a chuck mounted therein, manual means for rotating said chuck, a fianging head having means that move into the body of a can for simultaneously and progressively turning the wall of the can body to form a flange, means 40 for supporting said fianging head for free rotation, manual means for raising the fianging head to clamp the can between the fianging head and the chuck whereby said can and fianging head are rotated with the chuck, and means operat- 45 ing independently of said manual means by the rotation of the chuck for forcing the fianging head toward thechuck and into the can body.

'2. A hand flanger including in combination a supporting frame, a chuck mounted therein, 50

manual means for rotating said chuck, a fianging head having means that move into the body of a can for simultaneously and progressively turning the wall of the can body to form a flange,

means for supporting said fianging head for free 5'5 3. A hand flanger including in combination a 65 supporting frame, a chuck mounted therein, manual means for rotating said chuck, a fianging head having means that move into the body of a can for simultaneously and progressively turning the wall of the can body toform a flange, a bracket support carried by said frame, a standard to which said fianging head is rigidly connected, a carrier member mounted in said bracket support and rotatably supporting said standard, manual means for raising said carrier member to cause the can to be clamped between the flanging head and the chuck, and independent means for moving said standard in said carrier member when the flanging head is rotated for forcing said flanging head into the can body to form the flange.

4. A hand flanger including in combination a supporting frame, a chuck mounted therein, manual means for rotating said chuck, a flanging head having means that move into the body of a can for simultaneously and progressively turning the wall of the can body to form a flange, a bracket support carried by said frame, a standard to which said flanging head is rigidly connected, a carrier member mounted in said bracket support and rotatably supporting said standard, manual means for raising said carrier member to cause the can to be clamped between the flanging head and the chuck, said carrier member having a cam on its upper face, and a roller carried by said standard and resting on said cam, said cam being shaped so as to force the roller and hanging head upwardly as the flanging head rotates for forming the flange.

5. A hand fianger including in combination a supporting frame, a chuck mounted therein, manual means for rotating said chuck, a flanging head having means that move into the body of a can for simultaneously and progressively 5 turning the wall of the can body to form a flange,

a bracket support carried by said frame, a standard to which said flanging head is rigidly connected, a carrier member mounted in said bracket support and rotatably supporting said standard, 10 manual means for raising said carrier member to cause the can to be clamped between the fianging head and the chuck, said carrier member having two similarly shaped cam faces extending throughout 180 degrees circumference, and a roll- 15 er carried by said standard and projecting therefrom and contacting with said cam faces, said cam faces being shaped so as to raise the flanging head for forming the flange and so as to release the flanging head upon the finishing of the 20 flange.

ALFRED L. KRONQUEST. 

